Daily Slideshow: Porsche 928 Celebrates 40 Years In Style

Changing Tides

The 1970s were a tumultuous time at Porsche. The Porsche and Piëch families had just withdrawn from the company. In the U.S., Porsche's biggest market at the time, new crash-protection regulations threatened to upend the traditional sports car market.

With those looming regulations and stricter emissions requirements on the horizon, it almost seemed like the 911 was doomed. So Porsche did what all great companies do. It headed back to the drawing board to come up with a comprehensive solution to all these issues.

Defining the Future

More specifically, Ernst Fuhrmann, the new chairman of the executive board, headed back to the, uh, the drawing board. Fuhrmann had the novel idea of building a Porsche with the engine up front and the transmission in the rear, connecting the two with something known as a "fast shaft." This new transaxle layout would be the defining feature of the Porsche 928.

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Hop on Board

At the time, this radical decision seemed, well, radical for Porsche. But according to 928 project director Wolfhelm Gorissen, everyone at the company was on board with the decision. Thus, development of the car began in February of 1972. And as it would turn out, the drivetrain layout wasn't the only groundbreaking feature of this new model.

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Bevy of Firsts

The engine, derived from a water-cooled, aluminum 4.5-liter V8 racing assembly, was the first of its kind to appear in a European production vehicle. Porsche also gave the 928 a "Weissach axle," which was a brand new passive steering, rear-wheel suspension. The body was a combination of steel, aluminum, and plastic. And perhaps most importantly, the integrated polyurethane bumpers enabled the car to pass new safety regulations.

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Invention: Mother of Necessity

Those bumpers might seem like an afterthought today, but in those days, they sure gave Porsche engineers fits.  “At that time, we simply didn’t have a paint that could cover steel, aluminum, and polyurethane equally well,” Gorissen recalls. “There were different shades wherever you looked.” Thankfully, the right kind of paint was invented just in time for production to begin.

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Working Together

But it wasn't all about paint, of course. Porsche's goal for the 928 remained the same as much of its lineup: all-out performance. Engineers spent a great deal of time ensuring the car's perfect 50:50 weight distribution, large volume V8, and sophisticated suspension all worked harmoniously together. 

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Exceeding Expectations

Clearly, all that hard work paid off, as the 928 team found out while testing the car in Germany's Black Forest. “It was winter," Gorissen recalled. "Some of the roads were icy, and it looked like a real challenge. But the drivers climbed out of the car as cheery as could be after their excursion. The car drove a full class better than the 911 of that time.”

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A More Refined Porsche

This was Porsche's very first GT car, so it had to be something special. With four seats, plenty of space, and a big trunk, it was quite the departure for the brand. At the time, it was even considered a rather large vehicle, though that's laughable by today's standards. But it was also noticeably more plush than the 911 at the time, with a quieter ride, outstanding comfort, and more agreeable handling.

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Not Quite a Legend

The 928 debuted to rave reviews among both the public and the press, even becoming the first sports car to ever take home European “Car of the Year” honors. Porsche sold 61,056 units until production finally ended in 1995. And though it never truly lived up to the brand's initial expectations as a 911-level legend, the 928 undoubtedly played an important part in Porsche history.

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